An industrial inkjet printer for packhouse coding does not have to be a solvent system with a service contract. Our range is thermal inkjet: sealed cartridges, no printhead to maintain, and our own part numbers on the ink.
If you are searching for an industrial inkjet printer, an inkjet coder or an industrial coding printer, the first thing to settle is which kind of inkjet. We supply thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers, with the Titan family under our own label. We do not sell continuous inkjet and we do not sell laser marking, so if your application needs either, we will say so rather than quote you something else.
Marapack Services is the Pacific Northwest distributor for Altech labeling systems, and our Titan printers carry our own label and our own part numbers on the ink. We supply them to plants across the United States, with the ink on standing orders and field support behind them.
Looking for the right printer for a specific line? Book an equipment audit and we match a model, an ink and a mounting to your pack.
What is an industrial inkjet printer?
An industrial inkjet printer is a printer mounted on a production line that codes dates, lots, batch numbers and barcodes directly onto packs as they pass. Two inkjet technologies do this: continuous inkjet, with a permanent printhead and a circulating solvent system, and thermal inkjet, where the printhead is part of a sealed cartridge.
The difference matters for ownership. A thermal inkjet printer fires ink from a heated cartridge printhead at close range, so changing the cartridge replaces the printhead and there is no ink system to clean, top up or service. The cost is distance: the pack has to pass close to the head and be presented consistently. Our thermal inkjet versus continuous inkjet comparison sets the two side by side, including the lines where continuous inkjet is the right answer.
Which printers are in the Marapack range?
The range is built on the Titan family, on half inch printheads, with handheld and fixed mount printers and stitched multi head configurations. The SJ Freedom family (one inch, 25 mm, printheads) and SJ Infinity are available on request; confirm with us before you plan around them.
The Titan printers carry our own boot screen and our own part numbers on the ink. Configurations:
| Family | Model | Printhead configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Titan | Titan T6 handheld | Portable unit for marking away from a fixed line |
| Titan | Titan T9 handheld | Portable unit for marking away from a fixed line |
| Titan | Titan single half inch printhead | Fixed mount; the configuration we standardize on |
| Titan | Titan 21 | One stitched 1 inch printhead |
| Titan | Titan 22 | Two half inch printheads |
| Titan | Titan 41 | One stitched 2 inch printhead |
| Titan | Titan 44 | Four half inch printheads |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom Automatic | One inch printhead |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom Handheld | Portable unit |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom 21 | One stitched 2 inch printhead |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom 22 | Two 1 inch printheads |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom 41 | One stitched 4 inch printhead |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom 42 | Two stitched 2 inch printheads |
| SJ Freedom | SJ Freedom 44 | Four 1 inch printheads |
| SJ Infinity | SJ Infinity | Third printhead platform |
How do you choose between Titan, SJ Freedom and SJ Infinity?
Choose by the print height and the application. A half inch Titan covers the typical date and lot code. A one inch SJ Freedom prints twice the height in one pass for larger characters or more lines, and stitched multi head configurations go taller. Tell us the pack and the line and we confirm which platform we can supply.
Titan, half inch printheads. The workhorse. One or two lines of text plus a small code, at the height typical date and lot coding needs. The fixed mount single half inch printhead is the configuration we standardize on. The handheld T6 and T9 cover off line marking.
SJ Freedom, one inch printheads. Twice the print height in a single pass. Choose it for larger characters, more lines or a taller image on a carton or case.
SJ Infinity. A third platform, available on request. Tell us the surface and the line, and we will say whether we can supply it.
Print height and speed set how many printheads you need. A taller image at line speed needs more printhead width, which is why the multi head configurations exist.
What can an industrial inkjet printer be used for?
Thermal inkjet printers in the Marapack range are used for case and carton coding, date and lot coding on retail packs and applied labels, and handheld marking of cases, bags, boards and pipe. Each use has a different mounting, a different ink and, in some cases, a different answer than a printer.
- Case and carton coding. Date, lot, batch, plant code and shift printed on the case as it passes on the conveyor.
- Date, lot and expiry coding on retail packs. On film, on card, on a preprinted label, or on the pack itself. The surface decides the ink and the pack presentation decides the mounting.
- Coding onto an applied label. Preprint everything fixed on the label, apply it, and code the variable part in line.
- Handheld and off line marking. Low volume, mixed product, warehouse marking and field work.
Where a barcode must scan to a stated grade, or the surface will not take a direct mark, a printed label is the better answer, and our print and apply labeling systems cover that side of the line.
Which ink do the printers use?
Our Titan printers use inks under Marapack part numbers beginning MPT. The surface decides the chemistry: MPT-WB1-BK water based black for porous surfaces such as uncoated corrugate and paper, and solvent based inks, including MPT-SB1-BK black, for coated and non porous surfaces such as plastic, film and foil.
Further solvent inks cover other needs: MPT-SB2-BK, a second black formulation for different dry time and surface needs; MPT-SB3-WH white for dark surfaces; MPT-SB4-RD red, MPT-SB5-YL yellow, MPT-SB6-BL blue and MPT-SB7-GR green for color coding; and MPT-SB8-IV invisible for covert marking. We supply the ink under our own part numbers and set up standing pre-season orders, because private-label ink is made to order rather than pulled off a shelf. In June 2026 alone we shipped 144 ink cartridges and one printer to five customers.
What do we not sell?
We do not sell continuous inkjet printers or laser marking systems. Our range is thermal inkjet printers, and we can supply thermal transfer overprinters and hot foil coders through the Altech price list. If your line needs a technology we do not sell, we will tell you on the visit rather than after the quote.
That covers some very fast lines, long throw distance and curved or hot surfaces. It also covers some plants running a continuous inkjet fleet that is maintained and working, where replacing it would be a project rather than an improvement.
Request an equipment audit and we will tell you whether your application suits the range.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an industrial inkjet printer and a desktop inkjet printer? An industrial inkjet printer is mounted on a production line, fired by a product sensor, and codes packs at line speed. A desktop inkjet prints on paper. Our printers are the industrial kind, built to code cases, cartons, bags and film.
Is a thermal inkjet printer an industrial inkjet printer? Yes. Thermal inkjet is one of the two industrial inkjet technologies, alongside continuous inkjet. It fires ink from a sealed cartridge whose printhead is replaced with it, so there is no printhead to maintain.
Which printer should we start with? For most date and lot coding, the fixed mount single half inch Titan is where we start. For larger characters or more lines, a one inch SJ Freedom. We choose after we see your pack, your line and your surface.
Do these printers carry your name or the manufacturer's? Our Titan printers are supplied under our own label, with our own boot screen and our own part numbers on the ink.
Can these printers code on plastic and film? Yes, with a solvent based ink. Water based ink on a non porous surface will not dry and will smear.
How much does an industrial inkjet printer cost? It depends on the model, the number of printheads, whether it is handheld or fixed mount, the mounting and the ink. We quote once we know the pack and the line, because a price before that is a price for a different machine.
Do you sell continuous inkjet or laser? No. We supply thermal inkjet, plus thermal transfer and hot foil coders through the Altech price list.
Can you service the printer after we buy it? We support the printers we supply, and we service Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It labeling equipment. See our labeler repair and service page.
Match the printer to the pack
Tell us the surface, the code, the line speed and where the printer would mount, and we will tell you which model, which ink and which mounting, including when the answer is a label or a technology we do not sell. Call 253-709-5566 or request a coding line assessment.